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Tom's Guide
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
'The Last of Us' creators confirm Ellie won't be the main character in season 3 — here's what we know
For many fans, Ellie has been the heart and soul of 'The Last of Us' since day one. So hearing she won't be the main character in season 3 might sound like a big change to some. But honestly, I'm not surprised. Having played the second game, this shift makes perfect sense. Instead, the next season will focus on Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. The game itself split the story into parts: starting with Ellie's revenge, then shifting to Abby's perspective, and finally bringing their stories together in a powerful third act. It looks like the show is following that same approach, focusing on Abby's story next before their paths cross again. At an Emmys FYC event (h/t The Hollywood Reporter), co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann shared more details about 'The Last of Us' season 3. Druckmann said: The decisions [we made] are just what the story required, and even now, it's like I can't believe that they let us structure the series in this way. Meaning like we just ended season two, and season three is going to be starring — spoiler alert — Kaitlyn.' You may like He then continued: 'I was sure that they wouldn't let us do this when we started adapting this, but they've leaned into what makes, I believe, the story special. And allowed us not only the time but the creative freedom to be able to take these swings, and I think the audience really appreciates that.' Of course, that's not to say Ellie won't appear at all. It's likely she'll still play a significant role, especially since her story and Abby's are so deeply intertwined. The way the game handled their narratives showed just how connected their journeys are even when the focus shifts between them. So fans can probably expect to see Ellie's presence throughout season 3, but from a different angle or in a supporting role as Abby takes the lead. Spoilers ahead for both "The Last of Us" season 2 and the Part II game. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. What we can expect to see in 'The Last of Us' season 3 (Image credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO) Season 2 ended right at that explosive confrontation between Ellie and Abby, so it makes sense that season 3 will rewind a bit to show Abby's path leading up to that moment in the theater. The finale took us back to 'Seattle Day One,' which pretty much confirms that season 3 will follow Abby through that same timeline, picking up after Joel's death and diving into her life within the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). Just like in the game, the show is set to peel back the layers of Abby's story and explore her motivations, what she's lost, and the emotional weight she carries. We'll see her from a new angle: as someone dealing with her own grief. The more time we spend with her, and the more we learn about the people she loves and protects, the harder it becomes to see her as just the enemy. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO) 'It's more of a water season than a fire season,' Druckmann said at the FYC event, as Mazin backed that up, saying 'It's a wetter season than a hotter season.' So, what exactly does a 'weter season' mean? It's a pretty poetic way to describe a shift in tone and it actually lines up with what we know so far. If season 2 was all fire (like anger and revenge), then season 3 being 'wetter' might suggest something slower. Maybe we'll see a more emotionally driven story, one that deals with the weight of grief especially from Abby's side. Mazin said: 'I think plot armor is a real problem and in a show where we try and keep things as grounded as possible, and we want people to feel in real danger, then yes, sometimes the people that we can't imagine dying die. Because, for me, this is not a show about revenge, it's a show about grief. Well, how are we supposed to grieve if nobody we truly, truly are invested in dies?' Not only is that true for Joel, but since 'The Last of Us' is built around grief, the same applies to Abby, who's still mourning her father years later. We'll likely see more of that pain through flashbacks, especially during her time with the Fireflies and the bond she shared with him. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) While it might feel strange for some fans who've always rooted for Ellie, this change opens the door to exploring new emotional ground. Abby's perspective is complex and harrowing, which makes the story richer and more layered. Mazin has suggested season 3 may be longer than season 2 to better accommodate Abby's extensive arc, and a fourth season may still be needed to complete the overall story. So don't expect a neat wrap-up just yet, as it's clear the showrunners are taking their time to let the narrative breathe. So while Ellie may not be front and center next season, the story is far from over — though we probably won't see season 3 until sometime around 2027. More from Tom's Guide
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Q&A: ‘The Last of Us': Kaitlyn Dever breaks down explosive finale, teases ‘crazier' Season 3
LOS ANGELES - It's 6 a.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and Kaitlyn Dever is thinking about going to the beach. Except it's pouring rain outside, which is the only reason she had the option to check out the waves in the first place. The deluge has delayed her call time for "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova," the monster movie she's been shooting for the past couple of months. Just how hard is it raining? Like a normal downpour? Or is it the kind of deluge we see in the final minutes of the season finale of "The Last of Us"? "It's actually pouring like the finale of 'The Last of Us,'" Dever says, laughing. With the beach off the menu, we have plenty of time to settle in and talk about the bruising (and possibly confusing) season finale of "The Last of Us." Anyone thinking that the finale might feature a showdown between Dever's character, Abby Anderson, the young woman who killed Joel (Pedro Pascal) to avenge her father's death, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been hunting Abby to exact her own revenge, might be disappointed. Abby doesn't turn up until the episode's last three minutes. When she does finally arrive, she ambushes Ellie. It's not a tender reunion. "I let you live," Abby hisses. "And you wasted it!" Then we hear the sound of a gunshot and the screen goes black. After a reset, we see Abby lying on a sofa in an entirely different environment, being beckoned from her respite to meet with militia leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright). She strides to a balcony in Seattle's T-Mobile Park, the stadium now being used as a base for the Washington Liberation Front. Her entrance is positively papal, and as Abby surveys the scene, a graphic lands on the screen: Seattle Day One, a time frame we've already lived from Ellie's point of view. Q: What the hell just happened? A: [Laughs] I don't know. I have no idea. Q: It looks like the show just reset and we'll be starting Season 3 following Abby for three days, leading up to her confrontation with Ellie. A: One would think, yes. But ["The Last of Us" co-creator] Craig [Mazin] hasn't talked to me about what he's doing. All he said to me was, "Just get ready for what's to come because it's going to be crazier." He always said he wanted to make Season 2 bigger than Season 1, and he said Season 3 is going to be even bigger. I'm like, "OK. I'll be ready." Q: How did he pitch you on doing the show in the first place? A: At my first meeting with Craig and Neil [Druckmann, co-creator of "The Last of Us" game] they told me that their plan for Season 2 was Abby's introduction to "The Last of Us" world. They told me the number of episodes, so I wasn't super surprised about that, though I wasn't thinking that the entire season was going to end on me. [Laughs] Q: So when you got the script and read that ending ... A: I was like, "We're really doing this. Wow." It's a lot of pressure. I always think about the times in my past when I've done things and I've had one line in a scene, and it's the most nerve-racking thing to do. Everyone else has dialogue, and you're just thinking about your one line and how you're going to say it and if you screw it up, the whole scene is screwed up because of your one line. It's pretty terrifying - but thrilling too. Q: You're talking about Abby telling Ellie, "You wasted it"? You really spit it out with some heat. A: That's good to know. I was going back and forth between Vancouver and L.A., so I constantly had to recalibrate and get back into the emotional intensity of Abby. That was actually the last scene I shot. Q: How did you find your way back into Abby's anger? A: Well, the very first scene I shot was the killing of Joel. The light one. [Laughs] So getting back into it, I'd always go back to that and Abby's monologue, what she says to Joel before shooting him. Those words are so visceral and heartbreaking and really paint a picture. So I just kept bringing myself back to that place, how I'd been thinking about saying those words for five years. Q: Did you watch that Joel episode when it aired or had you already seen it? A: I did watch it with my partner. But the first time I watched it, I was by myself. And before that, I had gone to do ADR [automated dialogue replacement] with Craig, and he asked, "Can I just show you a little bit of it?" And I was on the floor because I was so overwhelmed. That is the most intense episode of television I've ever seen. And then when I watched it later, I couldn't believe it, even though I had experienced it myself. Q: You had experienced it, but you've said you don't really remember filming it because it was four days after your mother's funeral. [Dever's mother, Kathy, died from breast cancer in February 2024.] In some ways, it must have been like you were watching it for the first time. A: I had to fly out three days after her funeral. And the fourth day was that scene in the chalet with the Fireflies and Joel on the floor. So, yeah, it's all a blur, and it felt like I got to experience it as a first-time viewer. I'd see things and go, "Oh, yeah." Grief does a really interesting thing with your brain. It messes with your memory. Q: Filming the scene where you brutally kill one of the most beloved characters on television goes back to what you were saying about pressure. And to do it under those circumstances must have been overwhelming. A: I was terrified. I had spent so much time contemplating my mom's death before she died, thinking about how I wouldn't be able to go on. I couldn't imagine. And then it's a heartbreaking thing to think about, how life moves on. And you have the choice to keep going or not go to Vancouver and do the show that she was so excited about me doing. And then after she passed, I realized there's no part of me that couldn't not do this. I had to do it for her. Q: How did you fight past the fear? A: My dad really encouraged me. I really was terrified. And he was like, "You got this. Mom was so excited that you got to be in this show." And luckily, the crew was so understanding and supportive. Everyone took care of me. Q: Then it's 15 months later and the episode finally airs, which I'd imagine brings about a different set of worries. Did you go online to check out the reaction? A: Of course I did! I kill everyone's favorite character, the love of everyone's life. I'd never been part of anything this massive before. Like, the whole world is watching this. I had no idea what to expect. Q: And what did you find? A: It was more positive than I thought it would be. Q: I didn't play the game, so one of my first thoughts after watching it was: Wow, gamers can keep a secret. A: They can. I loved watching all those TikTok videos where people were filming their parents or partners watching and showing their reactions. Q: Having played the game, you've known about Abby and Joel for years. A: My dad was playing the second game and handed me the controller and said, "Kaitlyn, you've got to see this." In the game, it's so jarring and shocking. Q: On TV too! A: [Laughs] But with the game, after they kill Joel, all of a sudden you're playing as a woman. And my first reaction was, "Is this Ellie? Am I playing as Ellie?" It is interesting how they take these two characters who are mirrors of each other in many ways. Q: I was thinking about how it'd be great if Season 3 would have an episode with Abby and her father that mirrored the one with Ellie and Joel. A: That's a really good idea. I hope we get to do something like that. Q: I have a feeling you might. Maybe you even know something about that. [Laughs] A: Honestly, I can keep a secret too! I knew about Joel dying long before even Season 1 because I had met with Neil years ago when they were talking about making a movie from the game. And he was showing me the making of the second game and asked, "You want to know what happens?" And I'm like, "Oh, my God!" So I've been keeping this in a long time. Q: So you're good at keeping a secret. Gamers know how Season 3 is likely to develop. You've played the game. Are you being coy? A: [Laughs] We don't know what Craig's plans are. He has been playing with dynamics, even in that first episode of the season where we see Abby taking charge and being a leader. Q: She sure looks like she's a leader in the finale's last scene. A: That scene plays at the idea that Abby is sitting in her power. And whatever that means, I will keep to myself for now. People who have played the game will have a few guesses. Q: When you went to work on "Godzilla x Kong: Supernova" the day after the Abby/Joel episode aired, did people treat you a little differently? Maybe keep their distance a bit? Hide the golf clubs? A: It was pretty wild to go to work that day. Everyone wanted to talk about it. And all they could really get out was, "Oooooof, that episode." Q: One thing I kept looking for all season was where they used CGI to remove a spider bite from your face. I couldn't find it. A: [Laughs] It's in the first episode with the Fireflies. I had gone home for a few weeks and got a spider bite on my cheek. I thought it was a pimple. It was not a pimple. It was a huge spider bite and ... I hate to use this word, but it was oozing. And the CGI is amazing. You can't even tell it is there. I still have a scar on my face because they had to cut it out. Q: So, to summarize: a very eventful shoot for you. A: For many reasons. I'll never forget it. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'The Last of Us' Season 3: Everything we know so far from the game
'The Last of Us' Season 3: Everything we know so far from the game Show Caption Hide Caption Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal discuss father-daughter relationship 'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reveal they didn't enjoy their character's estrangement in season 2. Spoiler alert! The following contains details from "The Last of Us" Season 2 finale on HBO, as well as the video game "The Last of Us Part II." Well that's one way to end a season of TV. The seventh and final episode of "The Last of Us" Season 2 on HBO brought our hero, Ellie (Bella Ramsey), to the brink. In a single episode she: nearly drowns, is almost lynched, kills two people including a pregnant woman, and is rescued but then immediately hunted down by her enemy Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who Ellie was on a mission to kill. And just when the final confrontation between Abby and Ellie reaches a bullet-charged climax, the scene ends. All of a sudden we've flashed back three days and the camera's focus is solely on Abby, waking up in a football stadium-turned-compound for her militia, the Washington Liberation Front. So what does all of this mean for Season 3? Producer Craig Mazin promises, "all of it will become clear," but clues can also be found in the video game that this season and the next are based upon, "The Last of Us Part II." We break down what can you expect in Season 3 if the series continues to follow the game as closely as it has in the past. Spoiler alert: Ramsey may have some time off from killing fungal zombies for awhile. Kaitlyn Dever will take center stage in 'The Last of Us' Season 3 Get ready for Kaitlyn Dever to become the main star of "Us" in Season 3, which, if the game is any indication, will likely include very little of Ramsey's Ellie. The Season 2 finale's closing scene, showing Abby waking up at the WLF's headquarters on "Seattle Day One," implies the series will retain the controversial structure of the game, which divides its narrative evenly between Ellie and Abby. In the game, players spend hours controlling Ellie on her quest for revenge against Abby for the murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal), as depicted in the show. This culminates in a confrontation between Ellie and Abby in the theater which − in a moment that made millions of gamers throw their controllers across the room in frustration − abruptly cuts to black mid-scene. The game then jumps back in time and has the player assume control of Abby to follow everything she was up to during the three days that Ellie and Dina (played by Isabela Merced in the series) were in Seattle. From there, players stick to Abby's perspective for nearly the entire remainder of the game. It takes hours for the story to loop back around to the theater, where Ellie's fate is finally revealed, and the game ends not long after that. Game vs. Show: All the major 'The Last of Us' Season 2 changes Precisely how much of next season is devoted to Abby will depend on whether producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann decide to finish adapting "Part II" — which would also mean ending the show, given there are no more games in the series — in Season 3. If so, the resolution of the Season 2 cliffhanger could likely happen around two-thirds of the way through the season. But if the game is turned into yet more seasons, as Mazin has suggested, it's possible Ramsey would not be in Season 3 whatsoever until around the finale. Abby's now-deceased friends will return for supporting roles Fans should also anticipate a shakeup to the supporting cast, given the shift to Abby means characters like Dina and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) will be absent for the next stretch of the story. But Abby's friends Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Owen (Spencer Lord) and Mel (Ariela Barer), who were tortured and/or murdered by Ellie in Season 2, return for key roles in the second half of the game, as does Manny (Danny Ramirez), who joined them on the mission to kill Joel (Pedro Pascal). In the Season 2 finale, WLF leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright) learns that Abby's entire crew has gone AWOL, and that will be a big part of her storyline in Season 3. Because that story takes place at the same time as Season 2, it will shed new light on certain peripheral details already seeded into the second season, such as the fact that a medical procedure appears to have been performed at the aquarium not long before Ellie arrived. Owen's relationship with Abby will also be a major focus. It's explored in flashbacks in the game, which could potentially get their own episode like the Joel and Ellie flashback episode of Season 2. The war between the Seraphites and the WLF will be explored further In Season 2, viewers received glimpses of a war between Abby's militia and a religious cult known as the Seraphites, but they were infuriatingly vague. This conflict will become central to the next part of the story, so it's safe to say Wright will return as Isaac. In the Season 2 finale, we see Isaac set out to lead an attack on the Seraphites, which begins off screen as Ellie sets out to find Abby. In "Part II," this attack made for one of the most epic, visually stunning sequences in the game, meaning a battle episode on par with "Game of Thrones" could be in store for Season 3. Also keep an eye out for casting news about a pair of crucial new characters: Lev and Yara, brother and sister Seraphites who Abby meets along her journey. In particular, the role of Lev, a trans boy, could be a star-making role for a young actor around age 13. Don't expect any more Pedro Pascal Pedro Pascal almost certainly won't return for any of Season 3, though if the show had followed the game more closely, he may have. Whereas the show devoted a flashback episode to revealing what happened between Joel and Ellie during the time jump before Season 2, the game sprinkled those flashbacks all throughout the story and saved some for the second half. In fact, Joel and Ellie's emotional porch conversation from the Season 2 episode "The Price" is the penultimate scene at the very end of the game. It's possible the show could replace that with a new flashback scene in a future episode. But more likely, fans truly have seen the last of Joel. And given Pascal's busy schedule, including Marvel's new "Fantastic Four" movie, a new Ari Aster film at the Cannes Film Festival and more future projects, it's not that surprising that his time in the apocalypse may be over and done for good.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
The Last of Us season 2 ends on disappointing note as fans slam Bella Ramsey's acting: 'TLOU deserved better than this crap'
The Last of Us season 2 has officially wrapped up, but for many fans, it didn't go out with the same impact it came in with. Instead of applause, the HBO hit is now facing a wave of criticism, with longtime viewers venting their frustration across social media and Reddit. Despite a promising start and the continued star power of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the finale left many feeling like the show had lost its emotional core, and with it, the trust of its audience. The Last of Us season 2 ending explained The Last of Us Credit: X The Last of Us season 2 finale episode 7 brought Ellie (Bella Ramsey) face-to-face with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) in the most harrowing way yet. Still reeling from Joel's death, Ellie sets out alone to find Abby, believing she's hiding out in the aquarium. After a tense argument with Jesse (Young Mazino), she heads off solo — only to get caught by the ruthless Seraphites while trying to reach Abby by boat. She narrowly escapes being executed when an alarm signals an attack on their village, forcing them to flee. Inside the aquarium, things spiral. Ellie kills Owen during a standoff but accidentally fatally wounds a pregnant Mel in the process. In a gut-wrenching scene, Mel begs Ellie to cut out the baby to save it, but Ellie breaks down, unable to go through with it. Jesse and Tommy (Gabriel Luna) find her just in time to get her out. But peace doesn't last. Back at the theatre, Ellie and Jesse try to regroup, only to discover Abby has tracked them down. Jesse is killed instantly. Ellie pleads for Tommy's life, but Abby isn't here for him — she's here for Ellie. The screen cuts to black with a single gunshot echoing. The final scene flashes back to Seattle Day One, this time from Abby's point of view, teasing that the upcoming chapter may rewind the clock and shift the narrative entirely to her side. Fans react to the 'crappy' The Last of Us season 2 finale For many longtime fans, The Last of Us season 2 finale didn't land the way it was supposed to. Over on the r/TheLastOfUs2 subreddit, fans expressed their frustration in response to how the story unfolded along with Bella Ramsay's acting chops. One post titled "I hope we never have to sit through this crap again. TLOU deserved so much better than whatever this was" quickly gained traction, echoing the sentiment of disillusioned viewers. One user wrote, "Second season felt like such a teen drama i couldn't finish it. Sad because season 1 is so good." "Ruined a good show," another said, while someone else added, "Watch the other deluded sub make shouts for an Emmy nomination lmao. One of the worst castings and performances I have ever seen." One user also slammed Bella's acting, writing that she was still living in her Game of Thrones era. Another chimed in, "This season has been an utter pile of crap. The only good episode was episode 2." And in one of the harsher takes, a user remarked, "They fucked it right up there with other disgraced greats—Resident Evil, Halo, Borderlands—but TLOU was extra special. The only silver lining is I got to see #notmyJoel get eliminated by who would've been an entirely better Ellie, and that was some kind of poetic justice. Now, let's hope they stray far from the games again and we get the same fate for Bellie." 'Don't cry because it happened, smile because it's over.' — Dr. Seuss. byu/Blitzzad inTheLastOfUs2 The internet clings to Ellie's 'dad' joke In the middle of all the outrage, a moment from episode 4 has taken on a life of its own. Ellie's line, 'I'm gonna be a dad,' referring to her pregnancy with Dina despite identifying as a lesbian, has sparked widespread confusion, memes, and accusations of forced wokeness. Threads like 'I'm a dad playing a dad disguised as another dad' and 'Everywhere I go, I see her face' have turned the moment into an internet punchline. Whether fans found it cringeworthy or hilarious, it's clearly one of the few things keeping people talking, for better or worse. i'm a dad playing a dad disguised as another dad byu/shankmaster8000 inTheLastOfUs2 Everywhere i go i see her face. They are all gonna be a dad byu/Delicious_Republic_4 inTheLastOfUs2 The Last of Us Season 3 is coming, whether fans are ready or not Despite the controversy, HBO has already greenlit The Last of Us for a third season. That means more of Abby's story, more fallout from Ellie's choices, and potentially, a deeper dive into uncharted territory beyond the video game narrative. A release date for the new season has yet to be announced.
Los Angeles Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘The Last of Us': Kaitlyn Dever breaks down explosive finale, teases ‘crazier' Season 3
It's 6 a.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and Kaitlyn Dever is thinking about going to the beach. Except it's pouring rain outside, which is the only reason she had the option to check out the waves in the first place. The deluge has delayed her call time for 'Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,' the monster movie she's been shooting for the past couple of months. Just how hard is it raining? Like a normal downpour? Or is it the kind of deluge we see in the final minutes of the season finale of 'The Last of Us'? 'It's actually pouring like the finale of 'The Last of Us,'' Dever says, laughing. With the beach off the menu, we have plenty of time to settle in and talk about the bruising (and possibly confusing) season finale of 'The Last of Us.' Anyone thinking that the finale might feature a showdown between Dever's character, Abby Anderson, the young woman who killed Joel (Pedro Pascal) to avenge her father's death, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been hunting Abby to exact her own revenge, might be disappointed. Abby doesn't turn up until the episode's last three minutes. When she does finally arrive, she ambushes Ellie. It's not a tender reunion. 'I let you live,' Abby hisses. 'And you wasted it!' Then we hear the sound of a gunshot and the screen goes black. After a reset, we see Abby lying on a sofa in an entirely different environment, being beckoned from her respite to meet with militia leader Isaac (Jeffrey Wright). She strides to a balcony in Seattle's T-Mobile Park, the stadium now being used as a base for the Washington Liberation Front. Her entrance is positively papal, and as Abby surveys the scene, a graphic lands on the screen: Seattle Day One, a time frame we've already lived from Ellie's point of view. What the hell just happened? [Laughs] I don't know. I have no idea. It looks like the show just reset and we'll be starting Season 3 following Abby for three days, leading up to her confrontation with Ellie. One would think, yes. But ['The Last of Us' co-creator] Craig [Mazin] hasn't talked to me about what he's doing. All he said to me was, 'Just get ready for what's to come because it's going to be crazier.' He always said he wanted to make Season 2 bigger than Season 1, and he said Season 3 is going to be even bigger. I'm like, 'OK. I'll be ready.' How did he pitch you on doing the show in the first place? At my first meeting with Craig and Neil [Druckmann, co-creator of 'The Last of Us' game] they told me that their plan for Season 2 was Abby's introduction to 'The Last of Us' world. They told me the number of episodes, so I wasn't super surprised about that, though I wasn't thinking that the entire season was going to end on me. [Laughs] So when you got the script and read that ending ... I was like, 'We're really doing this. Wow.' It's a lot of pressure. I always think about the times in my past when I've done things and I've had one line in a scene, and it's the most nerve-racking thing to do. Everyone else has dialogue, and you're just thinking about your one line and how you're going to say it and if you screw it up, the whole scene is screwed up because of your one line. It's pretty terrifying — but thrilling too. You're talking about Abby telling Ellie, 'You wasted it'? You really spit it out with some heat. That's good to know. I was going back and forth between Vancouver and L.A., so I constantly had to recalibrate and get back into the emotional intensity of Abby. That was actually the last scene I shot. How did you find your way back into Abby's anger? Well, the very first scene I shot was the killing of Joel. The light one. [Laughs] So getting back into it, I'd always go back to that and Abby's monologue, what she says to Joel before shooting him. Those words are so visceral and heartbreaking and really paint a picture. So I just kept bringing myself back to that place, how I'd been thinking about saying those words for five years. Did you watch that Joel episode when it aired or had you already seen it? I did watch it with my partner. But the first time I watched it, I was by myself. And before that, I had gone to do ADR [automated dialogue replacement] with Craig, and he asked, 'Can I just show you a little bit of it?' And I was on the floor because I was so overwhelmed. That is the most intense episode of television I've ever seen. And then when I watched it later, I couldn't believe it, even though I had experienced it myself. You had experienced it, but you've said you don't really remember filming it because it was four days after your mother's funeral. [Dever's mother, Kathy, died from breast cancer in February 2024.] In some ways, it must have been like you were watching it for the first time. I had to fly out three days after her funeral. And the fourth day was that scene in the chalet with the Fireflies and Joel on the floor. So, yeah, it's all a blur, and it felt like I got to experience it as a first-time viewer. I'd see things and go, 'Oh, yeah.' Grief does a really interesting thing with your brain. It messes with your memory. Filming the scene where you brutally kill one of the most beloved characters on television goes back to what you were saying about pressure. And to do it under those circumstances must have been overwhelming. I was terrified. I had spent so much time contemplating my mom's death before she died, thinking about how I wouldn't be able to go on. I couldn't imagine. And then it's a heartbreaking thing to think about, how life moves on. And you have the choice to keep going or not go to Vancouver and do the show that she was so excited about me doing. And then after she passed, I realized there's no part of me that couldn't not do this. I had to do it for her. How did you fight past the fear? My dad really encouraged me. I really was terrified. And he was like, 'You got this. Mom was so excited that you got to be in this show.' And luckily, the crew was so understanding and supportive. Everyone took care of me. Then it's 15 months later and the episode finally airs, which I'd imagine brings about a different set of worries. Did you go online to check out the reaction? Of course I did! I kill everyone's favorite character, the love of everyone's life. I'd never been part of anything this massive before. Like, the whole world is watching this. I had no idea what to expect. And what did you find? It was more positive than I thought it would be. I didn't play the game, so one of my first thoughts after watching it was: Wow, gamers can keep a secret. They can. I loved watching all those TikTok videos where people were filming their parents or partners watching and showing their reactions. Having played the game, you've known about Abby and Joel for years. My dad was playing the second game and handed me the controller and said, 'Kaitlyn, you've got to see this.' In the game, it's so jarring and shocking. On TV too! [Laughs] But with the game, after they kill Joel, all of a sudden you're playing as a woman. And my first reaction was, 'Is this Ellie? Am I playing as Ellie?' It is interesting how they take these two characters who are mirrors of each other in many ways. I was thinking about how it'd be great if Season 3 would have an episode with Abby and her father that mirrored the one with Ellie and Joel. That's a really good idea. I hope we get to do something like that. I have a feeling you might. Maybe you even know something about that. [Laughs] Honestly, I can keep a secret too! I knew about Joel dying long before even Season 1 because I had met with Neil years ago when they were talking about making a movie from the game. And he was showing me the making of the second game and asked, 'You want to know what happens?' And I'm like, 'Oh, my God!' So I've been keeping this in a long time. So you're good at keeping a secret. Gamers know how Season 3 is likely to develop. You've played the game. Are you being coy? [Laughs] We don't know what Craig's plans are. He has been playing with dynamics, even in that first episode of the season where we see Abby taking charge and being a leader. She sure looks like she's a leader in the finale's last scene. That scene plays at the idea that Abby is sitting in her power. And whatever that means, I will keep to myself for now. People who have played the game will have a few guesses. When you went to work on 'Godzilla x Kong: Supernova' the day after the Abby/Joel episode aired, did people treat you a little differently? Maybe keep their distance a bit? Hide the golf clubs? It was pretty wild to go to work that day. Everyone wanted to talk about it. And all they could really get out was, 'Oooooof, that episode.' One thing I kept looking for all season was where they used CGI to remove a spider bite from your face. I couldn't find it. [Laughs] It's in the first episode with the Fireflies. I had gone home for a few weeks and got a spider bite on my cheek. I thought it was a pimple. It was not a pimple. It was a huge spider bite and ... I hate to use this word, but it was oozing. And the CGI is amazing. You can't even tell it is there. I still have a scar on my face because they had to cut it out. So, to summarize: a very eventful shoot for you. For many reasons. I'll never forget it.
